The Delaware Memorial Bridge reopened late Sunday night following a chemical leak at a nearby plant. No injuries were reported. 11/26/18
Damian Giletto, The News Journal

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A toxic gas leak from a chemical plant at the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge shut down all bridge traffic Sunday evening and it could be hours before the bridge reopens.(Photo: John J. Jankowski Jr., Special to The News Journal)Buy Photo

CORRECTION: A statement attributed to a fireman in a story in Wednesday's paper was incorrect. George Greenley said 30 percent of the contents of a storage tank needed to be transferred to another tank shortly before the bridge reopened.

A toxic gas leak from a chemical plant near the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge on Sunday shut down all lanes of traffic on the busy holiday weekend for more than six hours.

A hazmat crew was called to Croda Inc. in New Castle at 4:16 p.m. for leaking ethylene oxide, an extremely flammable gas, from a tank on the site, according to Holloway Terrace Fire Chief Mark Willis.

At 11:20 p.m., the leak was contained and the bridge reopened.

Ethylene oxide is used to manufacture other chemicals, to sterilize medical devices and as a fumigant, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The gas was transferred from the leaking tank to a secure one, said fire company spokesman George Greenley.

As of 11:20 p.m. Sunday, the ethylene oxide was fully contained, the chemical plant announced.

Residents in New Castle neighborhoods north of Moores Lane were urged to stay in their homes, said New Castle City Police Chief Richard McCabe. Dispatchers used a reverse 911 call to notify residents.

No injuries have been reported.

All north and south lanes of Delaware Memorial Bridge closed around 5 p.m. as a precautionary measure as crews responded to the leak, Delaware River and Bay Authority spokesman Jim Salmon said.

From the New Castle County Office of Emergency Management: Update: The incident on Cherry Lane has been placed under control, the shelter in place has been LIFTED. Thank you for your cooperation.DelDOT reports that I295 will be re-opening in stages.

Interstate 295 closed at I-95, and traffic was diverted to the Commodore Barry, Walt Whitman or Ben Franklin bridges. The congestion from the bridge had a ripple effect along I-95 and other major roadways, causing major delays for the end of the holiday weekend.

"We deeply regret the significant inconvenience that this has had on the community and those traveling in the area," a press release said.

Dan Heneghan said his son and his daughter-in-law, who is diabetic, were stuck on the New Jersey side of the bridge, trying to return home to northern Virginia. They had just spent the holiday with Heneghan in Ventnor City.

British-based Croda Inc. is an international specialty chemical manufacturer.

Atlas Point, Croda's Delaware location, manufactures formulas ranging from pharmaceutical use to industrial chemicals. Croda bought the site from Uniqema in 2006.

The process of turning ethanol into ethylene oxide is new — something Croda began doing less than six months at its Atlas Point location, according to Greenley.

A manufacturing operation has been at Atlas Point for more than 75 years.

A toxic gas leak from a chemical plant at the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge shut down all bridge traffic Sunday evening and it could be hours before the bridge reopens.(Photo: John J. Jankowski Jr., Special to The News Journal)

NCCo Traffic Alert: The @demembridge remains closed in both directions. I-95 NB traffic is being directed to continue on I-95 NB to I-495 NB into Pennsylvania and use one of the alternate bridges to enter New Jersey. Please drive safely! #netdepic.twitter.com/SEDtA1fWol

Traffic backed up on Interstate 295 entering Delaware, exiting the Delaware Memorial Bridge at 5:50 p.m. Both north and south lanes of the bridge are closed after reports of a chemical leak at a building in New Castle.(Photo: DelDOT)